Bundling strap

ABSTRACT

A bundling strap comprising a one-piece strap including an elongated main body portion, a free end portion, and a head portion through which the free end portion is adapted to be inserted to encircle one or more articles. The head portion has an opening therethrough adapted to receive the free end portion of the strap and at least a part of the main body portion. At least that portion of the body portion which is adapted to extend through said opening of the head portion is formed with diametrically opposed teeth. The head has opposed lateral surface portions adjacent the opening adapted to be engaged by the teeth and thereby hold the strap in position. The opening in the head portion is elongated transversely at an angularly spaced relation with respect to the opposed surface portions such that bodily rotation of the part of the body portion of the strap within the head will cause the teeth to disengage from said surface portions of the head so that the strap can be released.

United States Patent 1191 Brudy BUNDLING STRAP [75] Inventor: Peter E. Brudy, Willowdale,

Ontario, Canada [73] Assignee: Dominion Auto Accessories Limited,

Toronto, Canada [22] Filed: Nov. 10, 1972 [21] Appl. No.1 305,482

52] us. 01 24/16 PB 51 1111. c1 865d 63/00 58] Field of Search 24/16 PB, 17 AP, 30.5 P, 24/73 PB, 206 A; 248/74 PB [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,945,932 2/1934 Caley 248/74 PB 2,969,216 1/1961 Hallsey 1 1 24/16 PB 2,979,794 4/1961 Bartolo 1 24/16 PB 3,072,986 1/1963 Lefnaer 248/74 PB 3,118,200 1/1964 Bell 24/16 PB 3,147,523 9/1964 Logan 24/30.5 P 3,748,696 7/1973 Martin 24/16 PB Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant ExaminerKenneth J. Dorner Attorney, Agent, or FirmBarnes, Kisselle, Raish & Choate 1 Dec. 24, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A bundling strap comprising a one-piece strap including an elongated main body portion, a free end portion, and a head portion through which the free end portion is adapted to be inserted to encircle one or more articles. The head portion has an opening there through adapted to receive the free end portion of the strap and at least a part of the main body portion. At least that portion of the body portion which is adapted to extend through said opening of the head portion is formed with diametrically opposed teeth. The head has opposed lateral surface portions adjacent the opening adapted to be engaged by the teeth and thereby hold the strap in position. The opening in the head portion is elongated transversely at an angularly spaced relation with respect to the opposed surface portions such that bodily rotation of the part of the body portion of the strap within the head will cause the teeth to disengage from said surface portions of the head so that the strap can be released.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BUNDLING STRAP This invention relates to bundling straps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In bundling articles of various types. it has become common to utilize a bundling strap including an elongated main body portion having teeth thereon, a free end portion and a head portion for receiving the free end portion and engaging the teeth. Such straps are commonly devised to have a pawl or similar device in the head which pawl must be released in order to release the strap.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide an improved bundling strap which does not require the use of a separate pawl, which can be readily released by rotating the free end of the strap withrespect to the head portion, which can be readily attached without special alignment or orientation, and which can be produced readily at low cost without complex molds or other machinery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The bundling strap embodying the invention comprises a one-piece strap including an elongated main body portion, a free end portion, and a head portion through which the free end portion is adapted to be inserted to encircle one or more articles. The head portion has an opening therethrough adapted to receive the free end portion of the strap and at least a part of the main body portion. At least that portion of the body portion which is adapted to extend through said opening of the head portion is formed with diametrically opposed teeth. The head has opposed lateral surface portions adjacent the opening adapted to be engaged by the teeth and thereby hold said strap in position. The opening in the head portion is elongated transversely at an angularly spaced relation with. respect to the opposed surface portions such that bodily rotation of the part of the body portion of the strap within the head will cause the teeth to disengage from the surface portions of the head so that the strap can be released.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the binding strap as it may be applied around one or more articles.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the relative positions of the parts during release of the binding strap.

DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, the binding strap embodying the invention is made of flexible plastic material such as nylon and comprises a main body portion 11, having a free end 12 at one end and a head portion 13 at the other end. The body portion 11 is circular in cross section and is provided with opposed teeth 14 each of which has a radial surface 15 and inclined surface 16. The outer edge 17 of each tooth at the point of intersection of the surfaces 15, 16 is arcuate and has a lesser radius than the radius of the main portion of the body portion 11.

The head portion 13 is generally rectangular and includes end walls 18, 19 connected by arcuate side walls 20. End wall 19 is connected with the body portion 11.

I An opening 21 extends through the head portion 13,

the axis of the opening being at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the body portion 11 where the body portion 11 is joined to the head portion 13. The opening 21 has side wall portions 22 on the inner surface of the walls 20 which are tapered in a direction axially of the opening 21. Side wall portions 22 are arcuate intransverse cross section and have a common radius with the body portion when the body portion is in position as presently described. The opening 21 is elongated in a direction extending to the surfaces 21 and extending along the axis of the body portion 11.

In order to utilize the binding strap, it is wrapped around one or more articles, the free end 12 is inserted through the opening 21 of the head portion 13 and the body portion 11 is pulled through the opening 21. As the body portion 11 is pulled through the opening 21, the teeth 14 are compressed by the inclined surfaces 22. As the teeth 14 pass through the opening 21, they successively engage the outer end surface 23 of the head portion 13. This engagement between the radial surfaces 15 of the teeth 14 and the end surface 23 causes a locking action which prevents the strap from becoming released.

In order to release the strap, the end 12 is grasped and rotated with respect to the head portion 13 to the position shown in FIG. 4 to release the teeth 14 from engagement with the surface 23 as well as contact with the inclined surfaces 22. Since the opening 21 is elongated in a direction angularly rotated by 90 with respect to the surfaces 22 a distance greater than the cross-sectional distance between the edges of opposed teeth 14, the body portion 11 can be freely moved axially through opening 21 to release the strap.

The teeth 14 are preferably located on the body portion 11 so that they extend outwardly in the direction of the side wall portions 22 when the body portion 11 is in the untensioned 0r untwisted state. In other words, when the teeth are in engagement as shown in FIG. 3, the body portion 11 is not under torsion.

I claim:

1. In a bundling strap, the combination comprising a one-piece strap made of flexible synthetic plastic material and including an elongated main body portion having a circular cross section,

a free end portion, and a head portion through which the free end portion is adapted to be inserted to encircle one or more articles, said head portion having an opening therethrough adapted to receive the free end portion of the strap and at least a part of the main body portion, at least that portion of the body portion which is adpated to extend through said opening of said head portion being formed with diametrically opposed teeth, said head having opposed lateral end surface portions adjacent the opening adapted to be engaged by said teeth and thereby hold said strap in position, the sides of said opening in said head portion which extend to said end surface portions that are engaged by said teeth being tapered, said teeth having radial and inclined surfaces, said teeth having arcuate peripheral edges,

body portion and said head such that there is substantially no torsional force on the body portion when the teeth are in engagement with said head portion.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the opening in said head portion extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the body portion of the strap.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein the elongated portion of said opening extends in a direction generally longitudinally of the body portion attached to t the head portion. 

1. In a bundling strap, the combination comprising a one-piece strap made of flexible synthetic plastic material and including an elongated main body portion having a circular cross section, a free end portion, and a head portion through which the free end portion is adapted to be inserted to encircle one or more articles, said head portion having an opening therethrough adapted to receive the free end portion of the strap and at least a part of the main body portion, at least that portion of the body portion which is adpated to extend through said opening of said head portion being formed with diametrically opposed teeth, said head having opposed lateral end surface portions adjacent the opening adapted to be engaged by said teeth and thereby hold said strap in position, the sides of said opening in said head portion which extend to said end surface portions that are engaged by said teeth being tapered, said teeth having radial and inclined surfaces, said teeth having arcuate peripheral edges, said sides of said opening which are engaged by said teeth being arcuate in transverse cross section, said opening in said head portion being elongated transversely at an angularly spaced relation with respect to said opposed surface portions such that bodily rotation of the part of the body portion of the strap within the head will cause said teeth to disengage from said surface portions of said head so that the strap can be released.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said teeth are circumferentially oriented with respect to said body portion and said head such that there is substantially no torsional force on the body portion when the teeth are in engagement with said head portion.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the opening in said head portion extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the body portion of the strap.
 4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein the elongated portion of said opening extends in a direction generally longitudinally of the body portion attached to the head portion. 